Switch-containing electric-lamp socket.



E. G. K. MIDEHSON'.v SWITCH CNTAINING ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET.

MPLICATIOII FILED OCR-I?. I9l2.-

1,238,477. Patented Axg. 28, 19N.

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E. G.4 K. ANDERSON.

SWITCHCONTAINING ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED4 OCT. Il. I9I2.

Patented Aug. 28,1917.

NITED sTATEs PATENT oiunor..v

ERNST G. K. ANDERSON, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGVNOR TO BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Specification ofr Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

Application led October 17, 1912. Serial No. 726,262.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ERNST G. K.Y ANDER- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Switch-Containing Electric-Lamp Sockets, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact descrip.-

tion, reference' being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this speci-A the like.

:A switch-containing electric lampl socket Y constructed in accordance with my invention, is described in the following specification', and shown in the accompanying drawings; but it is to be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms than that shown and described, without eX- ceeding the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the device, with the switch in its on position, the section. being taken on the line 1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the device;

Fig. 3' is an inverted plan of the same;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the switch and switch contact;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the base, showing the manner of mounting the center contact, the section being ,taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and f Fig. 6 is a view showing the switch 1n its off position. r

Likev reference characters refer to like parts throughout the following specification and the several figures of the accompanying drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 indicates an insulating base in the lower end -whereof, to one side of the center, is formed a chamber 11. This chamber extends a considerable distance up into the base and serves to contain the switch; it connects with the exterior of the base through a passage. 12, through which the switch lever extends into a position convenient for manipulation. A. threaded lamp--terminal-engaging contact 13 1s attached to thelower end of the base bv means of screwsl 14, which pass downward through the base and enter nuts within the latter. Besides the chamber 11, the base is also formed with a recess 15 (Figs. 3 and 5), 1n the bottom of which lies the bent-over end 16 of a metallic strip, the outer end of which is also bent over, to form the center contact 17 .l y

The center contact 17 is secured in place by means of a screw 18, which passes upward through the end 16 andthrough thel base, and enters a binding terminal 19 at the upper end of the base. rl`he upper end of the base also carries a second binding terminal 20, which is held in pla-ce by a U-shaped contact 21, which lies in the upper end of the chamber 11, and has legs 22, which extend through the upper part of the base and through the terminal 20, being bent over beyond the latter (Figs. 1, 2 and 4). The

switch contained in the chamber 11, makes connection between the contact 21 and the threaded contactlS and thus completes the circuit from binding terminal to binding terminal through the lamp. The base may be formed with a side channel 40, leading to the binding terminals 19 and 20; so that conductors may be conveniently led to the binding terminals when the device is used as an angle socket.

The sides of the chamber 11 which are parallel, are formed with oppositely disposed, vertical grooves 23, for receiving the ends of a pin 2-1, which supports the switchmember and the actuating lever. The pin 21 is normally located by means which will be described below, with its ends in the upper ends of the slots 23. Mounted on the pin'24 is a switch contact 25, being a pair of laterally separated, ldownwardly extending legs 26, through which the pin 24 passes.

Portions of the legs 26 are bent over toabutments 28, the ends 31 and 32 of the recess 30 forming shoulders, which engage the abutments 28 when the lever is moved toward the on position of the switch or the of position respectively.

A metallic plate 33 (Fig. 3) is clamped between the base 10 and the threaded contact 13, in electrical connection with the contact 13, this plate having ears 34, through which the screws 14 pass. The plate 33 is formed with upwardly-jogged, outwardly-extending spring fingers 35, which press upon the lower ends of the legs 26 of the switch contact 25. These fingers thus resiliently hold the contact 25, pin 24 and lever 29 in the position, in which the ends of the pin 24 engage the top ends of thes lots 23. v

When the switch is in the on position (Fig. 1), the upper end of the switch contact 25 engages the contact 21, and the lower end is engaged by the spring fingers 35. If, now, the outer end of the switch lever 29 is raised, the shoulder 32, being moved into engagement with the abutments 28, will force the switch contact backward, about its pivot, out of engagement with the contact 21. The ends of the legs 26 of the switch contact have beveledfaces 36, thus forming corners which depress the spring fingers 35 somewhat, during the rocking action described above. When their corners have passed their central position with respect to the fingers 35, the fingers cause the Contact 25-to snap the rest of the way, into the off position shown in Fig. 6. During the movements of the switch contact 25 into its onl and off 7 position, it, together with the pin 24 and the lever 29, will be depressed somewhat, owing to the engagement of the front edge of the switch Contact with the fiat surfacel of the contact 21. The depression of these parts is permitted by the resiliency ofthe fingers 35, which, it will be remembered, support the parts in question in position.

"rhen the switch is to be moved into the on position, the lever 29 is depressed; s0 that its shoulder 31, in engagement with the abutments 28;u will force the switch contact forward into the position shown in Fig. 1. In order to facilitatethe entrance of the upper end of the switch contact beneath the contact 21, the latter is provided with an upwardly-bent lip 37, which guides the switch contact into the proper position.

The switch Vsocket described abovel is simple and reliable; and its construction is such that it .may Vbe placed upon the market at a low cost, and can be assembled and taken apart with ease and speed. By the pro- 1 vision of the twospring fingers 35, I obtain a perfect contact between the switch contact 25 and the contact 21, and avoid anything in the nature of a. line contact.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a switch, a fixed contact, a movable contact, means for so mounting said movable contact that it may be moved 'aboutan axis,

and also moved so that the axis itselbe tilted about various centers of rotation, means for movingsaid movable contact into and out. of engagement with said fixed contact, and a plurality of spring members bearing upon said movable contact and tending to move it toward said fixed contact.

2. In. a switch, a fixed contact, a second fixed contactincluding a plurality of spring members, a movable contact engaged by said second-named fixed contact for making and breaking connection between the latter and said first-named fixed contact, means for so mounting said movable contact that it may be moved about an axis, and also moved so that the axis itself may be tilted about various centers ofrotation, vand means for moving said movable Contact to effect said make and break.

3. In a switch, a pivoted member, a movable contact pivoted coaxially with said member, but independently thereof and embracing said member, said pivoted member beine' provided with a longitudinal slot, a mem er connected with said movable contact adapted to be engaged by the abutments formed at either end of said slot whereby said pivoted member and said movable contact have a lost motion connection, and a fixed contact adapted to be engaged by said movable contact in 011e of the positions of the latter.

4. In a switch, a pivoted member, a movable contact pivoted coaxiallyI with said member but independently thereof and embracing said member, said member and said movable contact having a lost motion connection, a fixed Contact adapted to be engaged by said movable contact in oneof the positions of the latter, and a pair of spring members tending to move said movable con- .guideways, a movable Contact carried by said support member, and resilient means pressing against said movable contact and thereby maintaining said support member in position in said guideways.

6. In a switch socket, an insulating base having guideways formed therein, a xed contact, a pin having its ends located in said guideways, a pivoted Contact carried by said pin, a pivoted member carried by said pin for actuating said contact,` and resilient means for supporting said pin, pivoted contact` and actuating member in said guideways4 so as to permit said pivoted contact to be moved .into and out of connection with said fixed contact.

7. In a switch socket, an insulating base guideways formed therein, a fixed BEST AVAILABLE COP contact, a pin having its ends located in said guideways, a pivoted Contact carried by said pin, a pivoted member carried by said pin for actuating said Contact, and a spring` member engaging .said pivoted contact for resiliently supporting said` pivoted contact,

actuating member and pin in position so as to permit saidpivoted contact to be moved into and out of engagement with said ixed contact.

8. In a switch socket, an insulating base having a recess formed therein, said recess having guide slots forniedin the sides thereof, a fixed contact'disposed adjacent one end of said recess, a pin having its ends dis posed. iii said' -guideways, a `pivoted factuating meinbermounted on said pin, a contact mounted onsaid f'pin. and pivoted coaxially withy said actuating member but independentlythereof, and a pair of resilient members engaging said-pivoted contact, one

on each side of said actuating member, said spring members supporting said pin, actuating member and pivoted contact in positation, a movable lever havingl a lost motion connection with said movable contact and adapted to move said movable contacty into and out of engagement with said ixed contact, and resilient means for causing a snap action of said movable contact, said resilient means also tending to move said movable contact toward said fixed contact.

10. Ina switch device, a pair of contacts,

so mounting one of said contacts that it may be swung about an axis and also moved so that its axis may be tilted about various centers of rotation, means for moving one of said contacts into and out of engagement with the other, and spring means for pressing said swinging contact against said other contact. v

12. In a switch device, a-pair of contacts, pivot means for one of said contacts, two

spaced pin and slot' bearing means for so.

mounting said pivot'means that the-pivotal axis may be tilted about various centers, of rotation and spring means for pressing one of said contacts against the other, and means for moving said pivoted contactabout its'y pivot into and out ofengagementv with` they other contact.

13. .In a switch device, a pair of contacts having engaging surfaces, two spaced pin and slot bearing means for so mountingk one of said contacts that it may be swung about an axis and also moved so that its axis may be tilted about various centers of rotation and spring means for' pressing-one'of said contacts against the other," and' means for moving one of said contacts into and out of engageii'ient with the other.

let. A switch socket provided' with two elongated spaced guideways,v a supporting member lia-ving Atwo portion `pivotally and slidably mounted in said guideways so that kit may be tiltedy aboutvarious centersoi'` rotation, a contact carried by said supporting member, a fixed contact, and spring means for pressing said movable contact against said fixed contact. y v v 15. A. switch socket having a substantially cylindrical insulating base, said base having a recess therein at one side of the axis thereof, a switch arinin said recess pivoted near the lowerl and outer part of said recess so that its free end moves-.toward and from the axis of saidsocket, a fixed contact near the upper and outer part of said recesseiigaged by the free end of said arm, saidiecess opening out through the side of said hase,

and means for operating said switch arml including a' lever pivoted coaxially with said arm and extending outwardly through said opening. f

16. A receptacle comprising an insulating base, a shell contact supported thereby, a binding plate supportedy thereby having two apertures therein, saidl base having openings registering with said apertures, and a switch for controlling the circuit through saidreceptacle, saidV switch coinprising a stationary contact, said contact having a pair of arms extending throu h said openings and apertures and secured to said binding plate.

17'.v A receptacle comprising an insulat'k g base, a shell contact supported thereby, a binding plate supported thereby havipng two apertures therein, said base havitig openings registering with said apri-tunes, and a switch for controlling the circuit through said receptacle, said switch coniprising a stationary contact, said contact having a pair of arms extending through said openings and apertures and se 1medito by bent-over p. .ins in- 'sa-id binding plate gaging the plate.

18. A receptacle base, a shell `contact supported thereby a switch controlling the circuit through said IOO comprising an insiilatiiigl c faz' 1,238,477

receptacle comprising a xed Contact supand movable Contact being movable about ported by said base, a Contact pivoted to a common aXs.

move substantially in a plane through the In witness whereof, I have hereunto sublon'gitudinal axis of said shell, means for scribed my name in the presence of two 5 operating said switch comprising a thumb Witnesses.

lever extending outwardly from said reeeptacle and movable substantially n a. ERNST G' K' ANDERSON plane through the longitudinal axis of said Witnesses: v shell, and a lost motion connection between En Darmon,

l0 said movable Contact and lever, said lever P. D; PHlLUIs. 

